


Dream of Peace

by SteveGarbage



Series: FEH Resplendent Hero shorts [14]
Category: Fire Emblem Heroes
Genre: Dreams, Gen, Ljósálfheimr (Fire Emblem)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:33:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26111188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SteveGarbage/pseuds/SteveGarbage
Summary: A short story celebrating Eirika's Resplendent Hero garb of Ljósálfheimr.
Series: FEH Resplendent Hero shorts [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1722151
Kudos: 15





	Dream of Peace

Eirika flitted through the air above the castle town square, watching the crowd of people like a thousand dots of color splayed on grey below.

She felt like she had finally gotten the hang of flight, at least much better than the first time she had fallen asleep only to find herself awake in her dreams, in Ljósálfheimr, and her first meeting with the spritely Ljósálfar. It had felt somewhat familiar, like the pleasant dreams of her childhood as she looked around the landscape of bright and vibrant colors and the fairies bouncing in the air around her. Eirika had always dreamed vividly and one particularly curious Ljósálfar had taken notice.

Peony had been, admittedly, almost too excited to meet her. Usually, only children had the power to awaken into Ljósálfheimr, to meet the fairies and to play all night with them. As they grew older, than purity, that innocence they possessed began to fade and, with it, the gates of Ljósálfheimr closed to them.

Eirika wasn't exactly sure how she had come there the first time, or how Peony talked as if she had been there before, or, beyond that, how she had managed to dream herself there a second time, then a third and beyond. It didn't happen every night, but it was becoming more and more common than she closed her eyes to sleep only to open them again to the waiting smile of her new friend Peony.

In time, as she dreamed her dreams more vividly and became more attuned to the magic of Ljósálfheimr had she become in her sleeping form more like Peony herself. Now, when she fell deeply into her dreams she awoke dressed in vibrant flowers and with flowing wings like flower petals that allowed her reign over both land and sky in the dream realm. As Peony had taught her to soar — granted, over many, many nights — she had also taught Eirika that she could not just come to Ljósálfheimr and explore it, but to shape it however she wanted.

It had taken weeks of practice, of trial and error, but she had been building, molding, tweaking night after night.

She had finally gotten it right, she thought.

Eirika swooped low, closer to the ground as the procession came down from Grado Keep, a column of nights, priests and nobles, moving slowly behind the sound of trumpets announcing the arrival of the party. She listened to the roar of the crowd as the procession fanned out around the dais in the square, as the purple and gold robed man stepped to the center of the platform before the archbishop.

"Kneel, Lyon, son of Vigarde."

Lyon knelt smoothly, placing his knees upon the floor beneath him as he raised his eyes toward the sunny sky above.

"Is Your Majesty willing to take the oath?" the archbishop asked.

"I am," Lyon said, his voice echoing across the silence of the large crowd gathered.

"Do you solemnly swear to govern and protect the people of the great Empire of Grado, to rule them according to our laws and custom?"

"I do," Lyon said, with steely conviction in his voice.

"And do you swear, in your wisdom to rule the Empire with law, justice and mercy in your heart?"

"I do," Lyon answered, his head dipping in a slight nod.

"And do you swear, with the power vested in you by the people of the Empire, their trust and belief, to ever protect, serve and care for them?"

"I do," Lyon said, "Absolutely."

"Then, Lyon, son of Vigarde, arise," the archbishop said, motioning for Lyon to stand. "On the power of the Sacred Stone of Grado, on the memory and ancestry of the great hero and father of our Empire, who cast down the Demon King nigh on eight centuries ago, ushering in an era of peace and prosperity to our land, I present to you the sacred twins, the axe Garm and the tome Gleipnir, in hopes that you never have to wield them in conflict or war and that your reign over our nation be long, peaceful and just."

The Archbishop raised the great jeweled crowned, stepping behind Lyon as he slowly lowered into onto lavender hair.

"I thus crown you, Lyon, son of Vigarde, Emperor. On this day, Grado kneels to you."

The Archbishop took a knee and the crowd of thousands gathered followed in one great wave, until all of those in attendance dropped to one knee, heads lowered, in deference to their new leader.

Eirika smiled, watching as Lyon glanced up in to the sky, seeing her there and he smiled in return.

It wasn't real. He wasn't real. And yet, Eirika could feel her heart melt.

This was the dream that her childhood friend had never gotten to live himself.

In the hopes of serving his people, in a quest for knowledge and power to overcome the weakness of his body with the strength of his mind, Lyon had fallen prey to specters stirring in the beyond. He had been corrupted and twisted, bent against his will to a purpose that he would have never followed of his own choosing.

In the end, Eirika, Ephraim and her companions had battled. They had defeated Grado. They had defeated Lyon. They had cast down the Demon King once again as he had been centuries before.

Magvel was born anew from the darkness that washed the continent. But the cost of that rebirth had been putting Lyon into the grave.

So Eirika dreamed this dream for him.

She dreamed of the peace and prosperity that he had wished for his entire life, that he had hoped to bring to Grado and to the world beyond. Here, in Ljósálfheimr, at least, he could have that dream, even if it was not real. While she slept, while she dreamed, that dream could still be his.

And when she awoke and returned to her life in Renais, she could strive every day in that world, too, to make his dream their reality.


End file.
